You are not alone

(Michael_jackson_bad_cd_cover_1987_cdda.jpg )
As the television beamed footage of a moonwalking Michael Jackson fading away from the real to the unreal, my memory tripped and my mind flew back a couple of decades.
The year was 1984 and I successfully managed to persuade my dad to buy me the 'Thriller'. It has been 27 years since that album changed the way music was perceived the world over but for me then, my first acquisition, that cassette, seemed to be the world.
Having heard my friends croon and some even imitate the now famous dance routines -- though I am not a dancer but I must admit I did try one or two steps on the sly -- I had to have that cassette.
What followed next was endless days of earsplitting music, where 'Beat it' became a regular part of the diet. The music had quite a different effect on my mother... a classical music exponent, who failed to fathom Jackson's catholic sound and decided to split my ears instead for playing for loud.
Undeterred, I managed to get a poster of the King of Pop, dressed in a red leather jacket, hair falling by the side and freeze-framed doing the moon walk. I almost adored him, at a time when I was slowly warming up to western music.
"Bad" followed next and 'Liberian Girl' and 'Man in the Mirror' became a part of my lexicon... as I would croon for friends and those whom I would chose to impress.
By the time "Dangerous" arrived on the scene, I had already graduated to some serious stuff... a transformation was taking place and 'Blowin in the Wind' was leading me by the hands to where Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Joan Baez lay. Still, 'Heal the World' captivated and left me drained while the world danced to 'Black or White'.
Thereafter, I lost count before Lisa Marie Presley flirted with my imagination in 'You are not Alone'.
As I grew up, Wacko Jacko faded from my mind -- his many indiscretions taking a toll on my memory -- but the music remained, lingered and often left me clamouring for more.
An occasional footage from an old MTV show gave rise to a range of emotions. He left without saying a word, without music, without his fans by his side. He left quietly, leaving us to deal with his loss... and it's only music we have to fill that void.
Man in the Mirror... RIP!
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You never said goodbye,
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold
You are not alone
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
You are not alone!
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